The Houston Astros came into the World Series as heavy favorites over the Philadelphia Phillies, but after getting blown out 7-0 in Game 3 to fall behind 2-1 in the series, it looked like Philly was poised to pull off an upset. Let’s take a closer look at the updated World Series odds. Be sure to visit our OddsShopper tools for more best MLB bets.
That was before the Astros turned in their best pitching performance of the entire season. Led by seven dominant innings from 25 year old, Christian Javier, the Astros were able to throw a combined no-hitter, which was just the second time a team threw a no-no in a World Series game.
Now, the series is all knotted-up at two games apiece, and the Astros have re-gained their status as the heavy betting favorites to win the series.
Check out the updated World Series odds after Game 4:
In Game 5, the Astros will be turning to future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on the bump. And while his resume speaks for itself, Verlander has struggled mightily in World Series starts.
After getting shelled in Game 1, Verlander dropped to 0-6 with a 6.07 ERA in eight career World Series starts.
“I did find some mechanical things that I needed to clean up,” Verlander said ahead of Game 5. “I've been working really hard since then. But there's really no way to know how it's going until you get in the game and see the hitters' reactions. So you work as hard as you possibly can. You take that into practice, you see how it feels -- ‘Are you getting the desired results?’ -- and then you take it into the game and hope that's it.”
At 39 years old, many are calling Thursday night a "legacy start" for Verlander, but perhaps there's just as much on the line for Phillies starter, Noah Syndergaard.
When coming up with the Mets, Noah Syndergaard was viewed as one of game's elite up-and-coming arms, and was a vital part of their rotation that led them to a World Series berth in 2015. But since that season, it's been an up-and-down ride for Syndergaard thanks to some injuries and inconsistencies in performance.
"I think it's going to be really cool to have the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander," Syndergaard said Wednesday. "Shout out to Eric Schoenberg. He's the physical therapist that took Justin and I through our rehab."
In 2022, Noah Syndergaard was 10-10 with a 3.94 ERA in time split with the Phillies and Los Angeles Angels. He had decent numbers but will it help the Phillies in the series and change the World Series odds back in Philadelphia's favor?
